SPEECH BY MR. ASQUITH.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13592, 6 October 1914, Page 5

SPEECH BY MR. ASQUITH.

BRITISH RELATIONS WITH

GERMANY

SANCTITY OF TREATIES

London, Oct. 4

Mr. Asquith, addressing a meeting of 10.000 people at, Cardiff, said that in 1912 the Cabinet laid down the terms of her relations with Germany and communicated the following declaration to her:—-"Great Britain declares tha-t she will neither make nor join in any unprovoked attack upon Germany. Aggression upon Germany forms no part of any treaty, understanding, or com* bination to which Great Britain is now a party, nor will sh^become a party to anything having such object." Mr. Asquith added that there was nothing ambiguous or equivocal about that. Yet the Germans asked us to pledge our neutrality when she herself was enormously increasing her aggressive resources. She asked us to bind ourselves absolutely to neutrality in the event of war, and asked for a free hand when she selected the opportunity to overbear and dominate the European world. Only one answer was possible, and that answer we gave. We now see written in letters of carnage and spoliation signs of Germany's long prepared scheme against the liberties of

Europe. After referring to the .sanctity of treaties and the right of small as well as large nationalities to live, Mr Asquith said that that was the reason Great Britain had brought Indians to Marseilles, and had extracted from the roost distant overseas dominions the best of their manhood. At the end of the war -he looked forward to seeing Europe safeguarded for ever from a recrudescence of the era of blood and iron. Had England foresworn her word, deserted her friends, and compromised the plain dictates of dxity, there would have been nothing for the country but to. veil her face in shame, and be ready in her turn to share the doom she richly deserved and gOidown after centuries of glorious life to a grave unwept, unhonoured, and unsung.